Masquerade
by Mystical Authoress
Summary: AU. Sort of an early Halloween fic. When Axel joins the group PHANTASMA and goes to their annual Halloween masuqerade party for the first time, he meets a new friend before the main event starts.


_**Masquerade**_

**Author note: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Nor do I own the piece that inspired this oneshot, 'Phantom of the Opera medley,' arranged by Lindsey Stirling.**

**I guess you could say it's an early Halloween oneshot. I know I'm months early, but I couldn't resist writing it.**

**Warning: AU fic, lots and lots of dressed up people, mentioned Zemyx, mentioned Namixas, crossdressing, crazy dancing...**

**Constructive criticism would be great. I hope you read and enjoy! Thanks!**

* * *

Axel entered the large hall slowly, staring about. There were cobwebs hanging around some corners of the hall, and flickering chandeliers hung in the air. However, the smooth marble floor was immaculately polished, despite this. Was this place really where so many members of the club gathered, especially on Halloween night?

It was only two weeks earlier that his friend Demyx had mentioned the event to him. Club Phantasma was an exclusive club for those who were magicians, those who loved the darkest of dark and weaved fairytales through their tongues. Phantasma seemed to consist of not just magicians, but also other entertainers, from psychics to musicians to dancers and artists. Anyone willing to be an official part of their group would always wear a mask to the events that they had, and receive a tattoo of black and red.

"It's like...I don't know how to put it...kind of a darker twist on fairytales in my opinion." Demyx had told his red-haired friend. "Every year, they have a huge ball on Halloween, because apparently that's the date when Phantasma became an official club. I just so happen that I became a member a few weeks ago, and the leader told me about it!"

Demyx had been hanging out with these guys for the past summer months, Axel had noted, whenever he wasn't around. He could see Demyx hanging about with a man of long blue hair and an x-shaped scar across his face, called Saix, and a man with slate-coloured hair, called Zexion. Demyx actually started dating Zexion since two months ago as a result.

"The current leader's name is Xenmas...apparently he's the son of the first leader...he might seem all stony-faced serious, but he's always glad to have another one join the club. The more the merrier, he says. Sounds interesting to you, Axel?"

Axel accepted immediately. Finding a place to belong in Hollow Bastion wasn't easy, and it was better than joining the seemingly boring flow of the townspeople. Saix gave Axel the tattoo on his back the day after he joined the club, and Axel couldn't help but grin whenever he saw it in the mirror. It was well worth the pain, with the fancy, flaming black and red, gothic-scripted words _**PHANTASMA **_scrawled just below his shoulder blades.

Now, it was Halloween. The new recruit had made sure to grab a mask, a furry mask of purple and yellow, and made an outfit to accompany it. He dressed at the Cheshire Cat from 'Alice in Wonderland,' complete with the cat ears and tail, and he loved it all.

Many, many dressed up and masked people stood in the eerie hall, drinking punch or waltzing with one another as the music played from a band in the far corner. One man in a black tuxedo was laughing at one table as he snatched all the poker chips from the center. The others sitting with him groaned, face-palming themselves or shaking their heads in defeat.

"Hey, Axel! You made it, dude!" Axel turned to see Demyx, running towards him.

Axel gaped. "You were serious about wearing a dress...weren't you?"

Indeed, Demyx was wearing a flowing white dress that went past his ankles and nearly touched the ground. Flowery designs decorated the skirt part and the mullet-haired man had accompanied the outfit with a white feather mask.

"Yeah, I was. Pretty neat, huh?"

"Oh, Demyx...wait up!" the two turned to see Zexion dash over to them. The slate-haired man wore a white shirt with a black vest and pants, the collar pointing upwards. There was a black cape with red velvet on the inside of it, tied about the collar in a perfect bow. "Good evening, Axel. Did you just arrive?" he asked, adjusting his silver mask.

"Yeah, I did. Nice outfit." Axel responded coolly.

"Thanks. You too." Zexion looked about before continuing. "I believe that the main performance will be starting soon, Demyx..." he looked at Demyx as he spoke.

"Demyx...don't tell you're..."

"Yeah!" Demyx responded cheerfully, nodding and summoning his sitar Arpeggio out of nowhere. "I'm going to be performing pretty soon! I should get over to the stage now, so see you later! Enjoy the party!" Demyx ran off into the crowd before the other two could say anything.

Zexion sighed, smiling. "He really is energetic, isn't he?"

"Yeah, I guess so..." Axel grinned.

"I shall see you later." With that, Zexion also left to walk into the crowd.

Axel figured he might as well have something to drink and/or eat, considering he forgot to have dinner earlier. He made his way over to the punch bowl, scooping some of the reddish drink into a plastic cup and taking a sip.

"You enjoying the party?" he turned to see a teenaged girl, probably only a few years younger than him, speak. She wore a black jacket with tight black pants and flats. Her earrings were a light shade of grey, and her bangles were gleaming silver. On her face was a black bird mask, something that reminded Axel of the Black Death. Didn't people wear those sorts of masks back then? Her hair was also black, and she looked up at him with light blue eyes.

"Yes, I am. How about you?"

"It's delightful..." she took a deep breath. "It's my first time to this party. Have you been here before?"

"No, this is my first time too." So she was a newcomer like him. He wasn't expecting this. "My name's Axel. I joined about a few months ago along with my friend Demyx. Got it memorized?"

"The name's Xion, Axel. I only joined this past February." She responded, shaking hands with him before they took another sip of punch from their cups. "I can't believe there's so many members of the club...wow...it's just...just amazing."

"I know..." he turned to look at her again. "Who recruited you?"

"Saix. The guy's an expert tattoo artist, so of course I would get the required body art from him."

"Same goes for me...although Demyx was the one to persuade me to join along with him. You know anyone else in the club?"

"Yeah, Roxas and Namine. They're my next-door neighbours on both sides of my house. They were already dating each other when I met them."

"Demyx has been dating Zexion for the past two months..." he paused before asking, "What sort of thing do you do? I play with fire-literally. I've even swallowed a small fireball before as one of my tricks."

Xion giggled a little before responding. "I can talk to animals, more specifically, birds. I use the feathers they drop to use for my artwork."

"So you're an artist."

"Yeah, and you're a firedancer. Nice."

Before the two could continue their conversation, everyone turned their attention to the side of the stage. A man with long, silver hair stood, wearing a mask of scarlet red. His outfit consisted of black and red, like the _**PHANTASMA **_logo, and he wore black boots and gloves as well.

"Ladies and Gentlemen...I, Xenmas, welcome you to another Dance of Hallows Eve." He spoke. His voice reminded Axel of blood-red oranges and black cherries, the innards dripping after you took a bite or two of the fruits. "For those who are new, we also welcome you. Phantasma has reigned for the past fifty years, and shall reign forevermore. Now, for the main event, please welcome to the stage Demyx the Melodious Nocturne, Namine the Memory Witch, and Roxas the Knight of Keys. They will be performing a medley of songs from 'Phantom of the Opera.' I do hope you enjoy."

The crowd let out a cheer as the three mentioned stepped onto the black wooden stage. Namine and Roxas both wore similar angel outfits (with the toga and wings), and golden masks accompanied the halos over their heads. Demyx grinned and grabbed his sitar as Namine grabbed her electric violin. Roxas sat at the keyboard, ready to play.

Namine started the song, the bow dancing over the strings as the electric violin smoothly gave out its tune of an A minor key. Everyone stopped what they were doing and didn't move. No one let out a single sound, albeit a few breaths as they listened to the mournful tune.

The low notes of the sitar sounded before it let out a sharp, high-pitched whine. The keyboard joined in, adjusted so it would sound more like an organ instead with its assemblage of chords. The violin let out the same tune as it had played just now, but this was much different than before. Instead of the slow mournful tune, it had turned into a rock n roll version of what it was before, much faster and with a beat. Some of the audience started dancing and other raised their fists to the rhythm.

A woman with blond bangs that reminded Axel of antennae sashayed her way to the centre floor, accompanied by a man with shoulder-length pink hair. The man wore a dark green vest overtop a black long-sleeved shirt with black pants, with a mask of dark green velvet. The woman wore a long dress of yellow and black with a matching mask that covered the eyes, kind of like Zorro's mask. The two flipped and twirled each other, and she let out a zap of lightning from one hand as the man shot up cherry blossom petals with the other hand. The two stepped to the beat, the man lifting the woman high before letting her down on the floor before the two stepped back into the crowd.

Zexion took centre floor now, spinning countless times as he made colours fly all over the place, snapping his fingers as figments of fireworks exploded. Axel had learned that he was an illusionist, and remembered that he was a contortionist when Zexion did a perfect split before getting up and extending his leg high into the air with no effort. He then bowed and left the stage, just as the music changed to something slower, more serene and now accompanied by the harp instead of a sitar.

A woman with short, aqua-cerulean hair and a darker blue mask twirled centre stage now, extending her leg briefly before leaping into the air and landing on a foot perfectly. She spun a few times, before flipping and walking on her hands and bending her legs a few times before standing upright and leaving.

A young boy with silvery hair and a deep violet mask danced his way to the centre stage, leaping before spinning, tossing two swords in the air before catching them again. He spun once, twirling the swords in both hands before sheathing them and walking out of the centre. The music changed once more, to a happier tune and Axel couldn't help but temporarily close his eyes and simply listen to the wonderful melody.

Two people, a boy and a girl, took the stage. The boy had light brown hair while the girl had a mop of bright red hair that almost matched Axel's hair colour. She wore a pink dress with a large, flowing skirt, and the bodice was white with silver sequins. A pink mask covered her face. The boy wore a suit of navy blue, with a white scarf about his neck. A mask of yellow covered his face. The two of them waltzed to the melody, the two smiling and looking into each other's eyes. They would occasionally look down at their feet, and Axel couldn't help but think the scene was very cute. Perhaps it was the duo's first dance together in this place.

As the dancers continued to show off on the dance floor, Xion turned to Axel.

"Axel?"

Axel looked at Xion.

"Yeah?"

She took a deep breath before asking.

"Will you dance with me?"

Axel couldn't help but grin.

"Sure."

The music changed back to its chaotic theme of the sitar, keyboard and violin with a frenzy of notes and a rock n roll pace.

The two ran onto the dance floor, spinning several times before grabbing each other by the hands and trying to somewhat waltz, before they let out an explosion of black feathers and crimson flames.

They stepped to the beat, and Axel even lifted Xion once before letting her twirl a bit on the floor. The two grabbed each other's hands before leaping and spinning again. Axel shot another burst of flames into the air, before Xion let out a burst of black feathers to finish off the dance.

The crowd cheered and screamed. The two bowed, before stepping off the dance floor together, grinning.

"GUYS!" the two turned to see Demyx, Namine, Roxas and Zexion dash over to them. "That was AWESOME!" Demyx shouted with excitement. "You guys really showed them what you can do! That was just...fantastic!"

"You guys were great!" Namine and Roxas spoke up before shouting at each other, "JINX! YOU OWE ME A SODA!" and everyone laughed afterwards for a moment.

"Thank you so much!" Xion responded, smiling. "Namine, Roxas, meet Axel."

"Demyx, Zexion...this is Xion." Axel introduced. Everyone shook hands with one another, smiling and chatting and giggling with one another.

Axel's grin was very wide for the rest of the evening. He had a good feeling that this Halloween was one of the best ones ever, especially that he made a new friend.


End file.
